Question by SuzieD: Sounds silly – but what is the best way to completely dry a dog (lab) after a bath or swimming?
My yellow lab is constantly getting yeast ear infections and also yeast skin infections. She is allergic to yeast, found in an intradermal skin test. She has been getting allergy shots for years, antihistamines, prednisone, baths, ear cleaning, ear drops, etc. The dermatologist just told me to try and get her as dry as possible after baths or swimming to try and avoid the yeast growing. I don’t think she would allow bow drying because of the noise – she is terrified of vacuum cleansers. I towel her off – but was wondering if any one had any more ideas? Very itchy dog.
She is 8 and just had a complete blood count, blood chemistry profile, and a thyroid check. It is done every year by either my vet or the dermatologist. Blood work 100% normal, including her thyroid levels.

Best answer:

Answer by Beth F
do condition training until shems use to the blow dryer. Talk to a trainer about the best way to do this with your dog.

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Question by Pug?Bug: Has anyone else had to give their dog a chemical bath to clear demodex mites?
My poor little guy is one year old and is suffering quite badly with demodex mites.

Skin scrapings and testing has shown a high level of mites as well as a yeast and bacterial infection. He has been undergoing a course of treatment over the past few months which has helped his symptoms – but not cured them. The bacterial infection and yeast infection has cleared but the mites remain!

My vet thinks the underlying cause of it may be an allergy. However, he wants to treat the mite problem first to make the dog more comfortable and to see if the problem could just purely be the mites before we start the costly process of testing for allergies/diet testing.

To treat the mites, my vet gave ‘advocate’ as treatment. This was supposed to clear the mite problem up with 4 uses (one pipette a month). We are onto the last pipette now and while he does not scratch/lick/bite himself as often, at times he still appears uncomfortable. At my last visit to the vet, the mite number had dramatically reduced, but he still had live mites on his body and so the vet mentioned that our other option could be a chemical bath. He is reluctant to give my dog this treatment as it can often have horrible side effects for the dog. Has anyone else used this method of treatment? If so, did it work? did it effect the dog badly? did it prevent the problem from returning?

We are back at the vet in the morning for another skin scraping to look at the number of mites on his skin and discuss where to go from here, just wanted to hear from first hand experience what this ‘chemical bath’ was like.
My vet will be the one giving my dog the first bath. He wants me to stay at the surgery with him while he washes the dog to show me how to do it properly and how much to use. He said he will make up a solution in bottles for me to take home which will be safe to put straight on without me having to add water etc. He has checked with the manufacturer of the product that it is safe for use on pugs as he knows the treatment can’t be used on chihuahuas (I don’t know why?!?) Apparently I will have to wash him every 2 weeks for 2 months with it?

Best answer:

Answer by Infinitely Superior
DIPS DON’T FREAKING WORK!!!
Ivomec,though not “labeled for use” in dogs DOES!

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Question by tripperpup: My chihuahua keeps full body shaking (like they do after a bath) and I’m not sure why? 20-30 times per day?
Hi – my dog seems to have picked up a habit that drives me nuts. He full-body shakes (not shivering, but like how dogs shake after they get a bath) constantly – and I mean constantly. Today alone he shook 22 times. This has been going on for around 6 months now. I took him to the vet and he said it is probably dry skin, but he did not seem to take me seriously when I said how excessive it had become.

I give him regular baths with moisturizing, natural shampoo and he gets defurminated often. He eats Wellness small bites food and has no allergies that I know of. Could he have an ear infection? The only thing is that I never actually see him itch his ear or anything, and he never just shakes his head. It is always his WHOLE body.

The worst it has been was 38 times in one day. I am worried about how this could affect him (seriously, his brain must rattle around or something..)

Please help!
Thanks for the information so far. How often should a dog receive a bath? He gets one every few weeks now, but I live in NYC so he starts to stink if I do it any less (lots of walks and stuff). Also since he is so low to the ground I am constantly having to wipe dirt off his belly. Would it be better to use some sort of moisturizer? I also hear he could be deficient in some vitamin that is causing his skin to become dry…

Would a dog develop an allergy as he ages? He only picked up this habit in the past half year, and he is six.

He just wears a normal collar which has never bothered him before.

Thanks again for all the responses.

Best answer:

Answer by Ruby Orton
If you are giving him lots of baths his skin might not like that. Or he could have eaten something that has made him shake.

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Question by gizzer777: Border Collie bath time?
I have a 6yr old rough coated border collie that is quite a-typical. She stays pretty clean and is not an active BC…her thyroid was checked again this month and is normal. I adopted her from our Humane Society last year and they warned me she hates baths! (I found that out last time I bathed her at a self service doggie wash about 5 months ago.)

Question: her skin and coat are in excellent condition (with a few grass allergies) and she is quite the shedder! She is brushed daily (and Furminated monthly while shedding) with a bristle and pin brush and steel comb. Her summer coat is in, and she looks great and loves to be groomed (but still hates getting wet).

I am going to bathe her again in a few weeks since the weather where I live changes very quickly comes September and I want to do it while it is still hot outside. I only use an Oatmeal shampoo and do not really want her to smell like roses or anything else.

NOW: some advocate the use of a doggie conditioner on all dogs after a bath and some do not.
Any BC owners have experience here? if so and the use of conditioner is recommended, what brand is the best (no chemicals or other stuff…natural only!) She does not have dry skin or a dry coat either!
TIA
Thank you Lindsay. My BC is basically an inside dog and she does shed dirt but usually in my house!
(not a major problem) My desire to give her 2 baths per year is to get rid of the excess undercoat, dander, and to encourage the growth of her new coats! Again, this is not a working BC but a really great Home Pet! I am also a believer that any dog needs some type of gentle bath every year if only to get the skin clean (but never too many)
BTW: I only use the furminator TOOL, not the shampoo or conditioner! I also have foun (even when she is dry, she has a VERY thick coat!)d that the Rubber wash Mit and curry brush work better than the bristle or pin brush on this pooch! I also have an undercoat rake and a complete arsenal of grooming equipment.
I have read the label on the mane and tail bottle and it contains alcohol (I do not like to use that on my dog, but thanks for the tip)

Best answer:

Answer by Lindsay B
There is NO need to bathe your B.C. I have 5 of them, who work sheep, and they shed dirt. I can’t remember the last time my dogs were washed.

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Question by ?Mama_Of_2_Beauties?: I’m going to give my dog a bath today?
but I don’t want my carpet to smell like wet dog! My blowdry has a setting where it will blow out cold air instead of hot and I was wondering if I could use my hair dryer if I changed the setting to cold?

I know the hot will dry out their skin and he gets doggy dandruff as it is. Also do you have any suggestions for a good dog shampoo for dry skin? It’s always been dry and I recently found out he has allergies, that’s why he won’t quit licking his paws, so we’re in the process of switching food right now.

Thanks!
It’s too cold today to put him outside or else we’d all hang out outside together! I can’t leave him there because I live in an apartment.
He’s a border collie mix at 60lbs+, he doesn’t have hair like a collie though, it’s about 2-3 inches long but it’s thick and fine.

Best answer:

Answer by Johnny’s illegitimate Daddy
Go yto the pet store and buy doggy shampoo

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